My brother wouldn’t be home until at least dawn. Was Kai still planning to go to The Pope tonight? He must’ve gotten that key after our conversation this morning, before he knew that he’d run into me again.
I hated the idea of him going without me.
After tossing my clothes into the hamper, I changed into the shirt and boxers, washed my face, brushed my teeth and hair, and walked out of the bathroom, hitting the light on the way out.
I crawled onto the bed, grabbing the pillow and hugging it as I reached up and pulled the chain on the lamp. The room went dark, the subtle hum of the air conditioning flowing through the house soothing me. My breathing slowed and my heartbeat calmed.
Kai was probably really angry with me. He had no reason not to believe Damon. He probably felt betrayed, lied to, and pissed off.
Pissed off enough to think he damn well should’ve stayed with the devil he knew rather than the devil he didn’t. Maybe he’d be sharing that hotel room with Chloe tonight.
And for some reason, I liked the ache that caused in my chest. Anger was easier, and I almost wanted him to go running to her. It would make him the same as every other man I knew. Self-serving, insincere, and greedy.
If he failed me, I could go back to not minding not having him, right?
I had Damon, after all, and here, I was queen, at least. He never brought girls to his room. He never made me leave, so he could have privacy. This was our space, and no woman was above me in his life at home.
I just had to find contentment in everything I already had.
I yawned again, my eyelids growing heavier and closing.
But then I heard the door behind me open and the floor creak.
I turned my head over my shoulder, tensing when I saw a tall, black figure moving toward the bed. I could just make him out, removing his shirt as he stood over me.
“You’re home already?” I said, remaining still.
But he just replied, “Shhh,” and I didn’t press further as I turned my head back around, staring off into the dark.
He didn’t turn on the light, so I guess that was a good sign he didn’t want to yell at me.
I felt the bed dip behind me, and he laid down, making it creek with his weight.
I don’t know why he wanted me here. I mean, I slept next to him more than I didn’t, but I knew he was mad, so it was better just to give him his space tonight.
But then I felt him at my back as he rolled toward me and snaked an arm around my waist.
My lungs got smaller as I tried to take in more air, and I could feel the vein in my neck pulsing.
What was he doing?
His breath hit my neck, and before I knew what was happening, he was kissing my skin and reached under my shirt, taking my breast possessively in his hand.
A cry caught in my throat. “What are you—”
His hand moved to between my legs, and he gripped me, holding me tight as he thrust his hips against my ass.
“Damon, no!” I cried, scrambling to push his hands away and get off the bed.
But he held me tight. Pushing me onto my back, he climbed on top of me, pinning my hands above my head, and slamming his mouth down on mine, rough and possessive.
I tried to scream through his attack as tears spilled from my eyes. No, no, no, please! Don’t do this. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to twist my head away. Nausea rolled through my stomach like an avalanche. No, no, no…
Until he forced his tongue in my mouth, and I paused, realizing something was off. I froze, inhaling deeply through my nose.
No Davidoffs. Not even a hint of any cigarettes on his skin, his breath, his hair...
I fought, screaming into his mouth as I ripped my arms out of his grasp and slapped him across the face.
“You’re not Damon?” I barked.
He grabbed my wrists, securing them above my head once again. His hot breath fell on my face, and I breathed fast and shallow, his weight on me too heavy.
“And you’re not fucking him like he said, are you?”
Michael? What the hell was he doing here?
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Get off me,” I growled, squirming. “What are you doing?”
It would be just my luck for one of the guys—or worse, my brother—to walk in right now and look for some way to make this my fault.
He released one of my wrists, leaning to my left, and the next thing I knew, the light was on, and Michael Crist was staring down at me.
Releasing my other arm, he propped himself up, letting his eyes drift down my body. I quickly pulled my shirt back down.
He smirked. “No wonder he keeps you under wraps.”
He rolled off me, onto his back, and laid at my side, sliding an arm underneath his head.
“I sometimes feel possessive of Rika Fane like that, too,” he said, turning his gaze on me. “Although she’s not my sister.”
I dug in my eyebrows, suddenly on alert. How did…
He knew?
Or maybe he just suspected, and I’d confirmed it when I freaked out during his little gamble.
He half-smiled, probably amused by the confusion on my face. “You look just like him. I don’t know how Kai doesn’t see it.”
“I’m not his sister, and—”
“Damon’s business is Damon’s business.” He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed and standing up. “But you’re ruining Kai’s night, kid.”
I rolled my eyes, sitting up as well. “Well, I’m out of the way now,” I pointed out. “You and your bestie can go have a ball.”
He laughed, holding my gaze. “I have a better idea,” he said, giving my thigh a slap. “Let’s go into the city.”
And then he reached down, grabbing my ankles, and yanking me to the end of the bed.
“What?” I slid over the sheets, falling to my back. “No!”
But my protest fell on deaf ears. He hauled me up, and my heart caught in my throat as he threw me over his shoulder, and my whole world turned upside down as I dangled more than six feet off the ground.
“You can’t!” I thrashed, making him stumble. “I’m not even dressed!”
“Jesus Christ!” he barked, falling into the nightstand. I shot my hands out to the wall to keep us from falling.
“You know, I’m getting tired of telling assholes to let me go,” I told him.
“So, don’t. You know you want to go.”
Something fell on my back, and I grabbed at it, seeing the sleeve of his hoodie he must’ve picked up from somewhere.
He started walking, and I got farther away from the bed, the nightstands, and the bedroom.
“Come on, man.” I whined, his shoulder digging into my stomach. “Damon won’t like it.”
“He won’t know.”
Yes, he will! My brother would be where they were. How would he not see me?
He wrapped his arms tightly around my thighs, and I stopped fighting as soon as he began descending the stairs. I didn’t want him to drop me.
He stopped, and I felt a draft on my legs as he opened the door at the bottom.
“Seriously,” I begged. “I don’t want to go. Damon would kill me if he found me with Kai again.”
But he just ignored me.
“Come on!” I yelled, kicking and hitting his back. “Don’t be an asshole! I don’t want to see him anyway. The pansy-ass barely put up a fight when I left, not man enough to come for me himself, huh?”
A smack hit my ass, and I yelped. The burn spread out, making me wince.
He walked for the stairs, and I caught sight of my father’s bedroom door opening, light pouring into the dark hallway.
“What the hell is going on?” He stepped out, immediately meeting my eyes as I hung upside down and twisted my head to see him.
“Gabriel.” I panted as Michael halted. “He just came into Damon’s room. I don’t want to go with him.”
My father just arched a brow, but I lost sight of him as Michael turned around to fac
e him.
There was silence, and I stayed frozen, waiting for Michael to put me down.
But he didn’t.
Instead my father spoke up. “Gates are locking for the night,” he informed Michael. “You take her out of this house, you can’t bring her back until dawn.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, frustration boiling my blood. I wasn’t surprised. What did I expect him to say when a half-naked guy sneaks into his house to kidnap his daughter?
Absolutely nothing.
I heard the door close again, and Michael spun around, descending the stairs as his body shook with laughter.
“Model father, that one.” He squeezed the back of my thigh. “I think you’ll actually be safer with me.”
We made it down the stairs, and he opened the front door, walking out.
“Listen,” I said, seeing the driveway as my hair blocked the rest of my view. “I can’t go with you. He’s already angry enough.”
“I told you, he won’t know you’re there.”
And then I was swinging back upright, my feet finding the ground.
My head swam with dizziness, but I saw him open the back door of his G-Class and all of a sudden, music and laughter poured out. I looked in, seeing the car packed with people. No one I recognized.
“Make room,” Michael told someone.
He then turned and pushed me into the seat. “Ty, do her face,” he said to someone and the door slammed behind me.
I looked around, finding people piled in the back seat, girls on laps, while the front had two bodies sharing the passenger seat. Michael moved around the front of the car, heading for the driver’s side. People glanced at me, but they were smiling and still carrying on their conversations.
Drunk already, I would assume.
Michael climbed in the car, tossing his shirt and hoodie on the people to his right, and started the car.
And then a girl was on me.
I sucked in a breath, looking up as she straddled me. She was in short shorts, but she also wore a brown leather jacket, boots, and a scarf. Her face was painted like a sugar skull. Black rimmed her eyes, and she had beautiful designs of flowers across her temple.
What was she doing?
Raising some kind of spongy wedge, she dabbed it in some white makeup and came at me.
I reared back. “What are you doing?” I yelled over the radio blaring Save Yourself in the background.
“She’s disguising you,” Michael said as he put his car in drive and pulled around the driveway, heading down toward the gate. “Cooperate.”
She smiled, her burgundy lips spreading to reveal pearly white teeth. Leaning in, she started dabbing make-up on me again.
“It’s almost midnight,” she whispered excitedly. “Dia de la Muertos.”
Day of the Dead? It lasted from Halloween until after All Saints on November first, I knew, but why…
Oh, the make-up. It hit me why she was wearing face paint and what she was doing to me.
And the candles in the cemetery, too.
I didn’t know much about the holiday other than a parade I’d seen as a child in Meridian City.
“Are you cold?” Michael asked, and the next thing I knew, a sweatshirt came flying into the back.
I snatched it up. Awesome. All I had on was the thin boxers and a T-shirt.
And then my Vans came tumbling back at me, too. He grabbed my shoes? I hurriedly pulled everything on, immediately feeling warmer.
“Where are we going?” I tucked my hair behind my ears, making it easier for Ty to work.
Her eyes gleamed. “Hide and seek.”
Bellows and cheers instantly hit my ears as Michael swung open the double doors to The Pope.
It took less than forty-five minutes to get into Meridian City, the streets all the way from our seaside village to the bustling metropolis were now dark and quiet for the evening.
At least thirty people loitered in the lobby as I looked around and instinctively pulled up my hood—or Michael’s hood—worried that the face paint wasn’t enough to disguise me. Groups of teenagers were scattered amongst black columns that stretched up to the dark, high ceiling with ornate woodwork and crystal chandeliers. A few sat on sofas and cushioned chairs or stood near the large windows boasting beautiful white drapes and tall potted plants and baby trees nearby.
I’d never been here before. Our father rarely found a reason to bring us—or Damon, anyway—to the city. I knew it was in danger of closing, though. The stadium that was supposed to have been built years ago never happened and business was suffering. It really was a shame it was so empty and unappreciated for its grandeur.
An arm hooked around my neck, and I saw Michael standing next to me. He still had his shirt off.
“You got nice legs,” he said, staring around the lobby. “You might be safe from Damon at the moment, but don’t think your safe from the rest us.”
He then looked down at me with a challenge in his eyes.
“And don’t think I don’t know how to take care of myself,” I retorted. “I don’t mind hitting a girl.”
His lips spread wide, and he laughed under his breath. Michael didn’t seem like a guy who ever gave much away, but I felt a tug of pride that he seemed to find me amusing, at least.
Everyone fanned out, the girl who’d done my make-up taking my hand and dragging me toward the elevators. Michael and a few others followed.
“The game is,” the girl stated, “a cross between Hide and Seek and Seven Minutes in Heaven.”
Seven Minutes in Heaven? I groaned inwardly. I’d already played that tonight.
“You hide, and if you’re found,” she continued, “you and him get to have a few minutes alone.”
“And if I don’t want to play?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Michael pushed the button for the thirteenth floor and the doors started to close. “It’s fun.”
Yeah, fun. You’re telling me my brother plays this with only the hope of copping a feel in a dark closet? They were either lying or extremely sugar-coating this game for my sake. I had no interest in this.
“How many ‘seekers’ are there?” I looked back to the girl, ignoring Michael.
She shrugged. “One for each of us. Sometimes more.”
More?
The elevator ascended, but my stomach was sinking. Chills spread up my legs, and my mouth went dry.
Then Michael leaned into my ear, whispering, “You don’t want Kai to find someone else, do you?”
My lips quivered with a little snarl. “There’s no guarantee he’ll find me.”
“Then make sure he does.”
I licked my lips, immediately tasting the black cherry lipstick the girl had painted on. She released my hand as the doors opened, and I watched as everyone brushed past me, shooting out of the elevator.
But I took my steps slowly.
The hallway was dark and loud, an abrasive Fear Factory song growling over the chatter, and I clenched my fists, suddenly feeling nervous. I didn’t want to get into a situation I couldn’t get myself out of. I’d actually feel a little more comfortable with David here.
I laughed to myself at the irony.
I followed everyone as they trailed down the hallway which was littered with more people and room doors wide open like this was one big, communal space.
The wall sconces glowed with dim light, but the overhead chandeliers were off, so it gave the floor a haunting, cave-like feel. We drifted down past open doors, music coming from every room, and it seemed more like a dormitory than a hotel. They must’ve bought out the entire floor.
Masked teenagers filtered in and out of dark rooms lit only by candlelight, and I looked in one room, seeing several dancing slow and heated. Two girls were making-out, hands everywhere, and another girl straddled some guy on a chair.
If my brother saw me, I’d blame this on Michael. It was his fault I was here.
“Alright!” someone shouted, and I looked up. Will stood on top of a cooler
outside a room, looking back and forth down the hallway.
A dozen or so people started to gather, and I kept my hood up and my head down. I hadn’t seen Kai yet, but Michael was still next to me, so I felt less unsafe. I smelled the room service drifting out of the room to my right and a hunger pang hit me. I hadn’t eaten since…the bread and soup this afternoon?
“To keep this workable, we’re going to limit it to rooms 1312 through 1322,” Will instructed. “Ladies, you know the drill. Find a hiding place in any of those rooms, and make it a good one. You can change hiding spots, but if you’re caught in transit, you’re caught.” His face was adorned with a knowing smile as he looked around to the guys, warning them. “And if you’re told to back off, you back off.”
A few chuckles went off around the area, and I immediately took a step back. Where was Kai? If he wasn’t playing, then I didn’t want to. And for Christ’s sake, what if my brother was the one to find me.
So, what do I do? Find somewhere safe to loiter until this shit was over or go now and find the best hiding spot?
And then I saw a dark figure step out from one of the rooms behind Will and slowly approach. As the glow of the sconce fell across his mask, I wanted it to be silver.
But it was black, and the vein in my throat started throbbing. It was my brother’s. I cast my eyes down again.
“You have one minute to hide,” Will said, and then he looked at the guys, “and then you get fifteen minutes to lock yourself in a closet with your buddy’s girlfriend if you beat him to her.” Laughter exploded, following some catcalling. “When everyone hears this horn,” he held up a foghorn, “time’s up and you come out.”
He tossed the horn to a nearby kid, probably a lower classman whom they pegged to do their shit work, while Will jumped off the cooler and pulled his mask over his face. I guessed he was playing, too.
I started walking backwards, taking step after step. I wasn’t going to just hang here and let Damon see me, but I had no intention of being found, either. I knew the perfect hiding spot.
“Ready?” Will called out. “Set?”
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